Simply assembled closing casing



April 1, 1969 A. QUENOT 3,436,032

SIMPLY ASSEMBLED CLOSING CASING Filed Dec. 16. 1966 United States PatentInt. c1. B65h 75/16 US. Cl. 242-843 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis disclosure concerns a plastic tape measure casing with a bottomhaving a tangential tape measure outlet and two spaced circular parallelwalls forming a groove therebetween and a cover having a dependingperipheral rim force-fitted in the groove of the bottom.

Generally closed round casings of metal or plastic matter such as forexample casing containing measuring tapes, consist either of a rounddished bottom on which is secured a disk-shaped cover, or of twoassembled half casings. These elements can be assembled by screws,gluing, by crimping or by other means.

In the case of a casing containing a tape measure, the cover can also beheld in its centre by the winding mechanism which also serves as a linkbetween the two parts of the casing.

This manner of assembling causes a loss of time during assembly owing tothe placing of peripheral securing screws.

The assembly is all the more costly and is of questionable aestheticappearance. Furthermore the screws which must be placed outside theinner useful diameter of the casing require a larger outer diameter.

The operations of gluing, themselves, are lengthy and uncertain andcertain materials do not assemble or assemble themselves poorly bygluing.

Consequently the invention proposes to provide a closed casing ofsynthetic material, such as a tape measure casing, the simplicity ofassembly of which permits achieving an appreciable economy in time andconstruction by eliminating all mistakes in assembling, and the mannerof assembling of which confers to the casing an increased solidity aswell as excellent hermetic qualities as well as a perfectly acceptableaesthetic appearance.

To this effect the invention is concerned with a closed casing ofsynthetic material such as for example a tape measure casingcharacterised by a peripheral groove, continuous or not, located on theperiphery of the bottom of the casing and by a continuous ornon-cintinuous peripheral rim with which is provided the cover, said r1mbeing introduced into said groove.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription made by way of non-limiting example as well as to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 represents a plan view of the bottom of the casm FIGURE 2 showsa cross sectional view on aa of the bottom of the casing;

FIGURE 3 shows a plan view of the cover;

FIGURE 4 represents a cross sectional view along the line bb of thecover; and

FIGURE 5 shows a cross section of the groove-rim assembly.

Reference is made to FIGURES 1 and 2.

A casing for tape measures of synthetic material comprises a mouldedbottom 1 provided with a peripheral "ice rim 2. The bottom 1 and the rim2 thus form a kind of cup.

A second rim 3 having a smaller diameter than rim 2 is rigid with bottom1.

These concentric rims 2 and 3 thus form a circular groove 4.

Said groove 4 is interrupted at 5 for the tangential opening 6 for thetape (not shown). Finally a circular opening 7 made in bottom 1 permitsto receive the corresponding part (not shown) of the winding mechanism.

Reference is made to FIGURES 3 and 4.

The second piece of the casing is formed by a moulded cover 8 providedwith an opening 9 intended to receive the corresponding part (not shown)of the winding mechanism.

A peripheral rim 10 is rigid With cover 8. Rim 10 is also interrupted at11 corresponding to the interruption 5 of groove 4. There is thus nopossibility of error in assembling. The average diameter of this rim 10is equal to the average diameter of groove 4 and its thickness is suchthat this rim 10 fits exactly in groove 4. In order to augment theefiiciency of assembly, section 12 of rim 10 and section 13 of groove 4are slightly conical.

FIGURE 5 shows this conicality of rim 10 and of groove 4 in exaggeratedfashion. Casing 1 of cover 5 are shown on this figure in the positionwhich they have before forcing. After forcing, the bottom 14 of groove 4and the peak 15 of rim 10 are in contact one with the other.

The extent of the force fitting obtained is proportional to the distanceseparating the bottom 14 from the peak 15 before forcing and also of theinclination of the lateral walls 16 of groove 4 and 17 of rim 10. Theslope of these walls 16 and 17 is less than their frictional angle whichrenders impossible the coming apart of the casing and the turning ofcover 8 and of bottom 1 thus assembled.

The assembly thus made is practically indestructible and furthermorebrings gracefulness to the superimposed thicknesses of the three rims 2,3 and 10, great rigidity to the casing while making possible an outerdiameter smaller than that required by screw assemblies. It is naturallypossible to provide additional securing by a suitable arrangement of thewinding mechanism. The assembly can also be reinforced by gluing rim 10in groove 4.

It will be understood that the circular shape of the groove and of therims is not exclusive and that there can be made casings of any shapewith a groove and a rim which are continuous or in several partsespousing the periphery of the casing.

Although the invention has been described with respect to one embodimentthereof, it is understood that the same is in no way limited thereto andthat there may be brought various modifications of shapes and materialswithout departing thereby from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination in a tape measure casing, a bottom having a tangentialtape measure outlet, and two spaced upstanding circular walls forming agroove therebetween; a cover having a depending peripheral rimforce-fitted in said groove; said walls and said rim being tapered toprovide an interfitting wedging action therebetween; said walls and saidrim being interrupted in at least one place to form an openingcommunicating with said tangential outlet; said cover and said bottomhaving a central opening for receiving a winding mechanism for said tapemeasure; the opening in said cover being larger than the opening in saidbottom.

2. Casing according to claim 1, wherein said groove has a conical shapeand said rim is wedge-shaped to force fit therein.

3 '4 3. Casing according to claim 1, wherein said bottom 2,638,261 5/1953 Poole. and said cover are of plastic material. 2,695,115 11/ 1954Roop.

3,229,928 1/ 1966 Burgess et a1. References Cited 3,307,688 3/1967Widmont 20652 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 332,505 12/ 1885 Dickhut 242-848FOREIGN PATENTS 641,050 1/1900 Smith 242 s4.s 1,294,784 4/1962 Ffance-739,738 9/1903 Starrett 242-843 WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Primary Examiner.

